HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Medical marijuana is no longer considered by the federal government to be as addictive or dangerous as heroin or cocaine, following a Justice Department order that took effect Tuesday.
The rescheduling means the federal government now recognizes that cannabis has medical uses, similar to testosterone or ketamine. Hawaii dispensaries selling medical marijuana are no longer technically violating federal law, giving them easier access to banking and tax breaks.
But experts say the most important change may be in the attitude of the population, politicians, and potential patients.
“That cannabis does have medicinal value, that there is a place for cannabis in the lives of a patient, and that they shouldn’t feel the stigma, and this idea that it is illegal and that they should be looked down upon,” said Ty Cheng of Aloha Green Apothecary.
The change allows dispensaries to write off their expenses of their retail operations. Previously, they had to absorb the expense with the tax break available to typical retailers.
“We will now be able to apply our expenses when we sell cannabis towards the revenue of cannabis. Before, we’d have to eat the expense, so we were being double taxed,” Cheng said.
However, because Hawaii dispensaries make their own products, the tax break won’t be as significant as for mainland retailers who can write off the cost of buying cannabis wholesale.
“I actually don’t think it’ll have much of an impact on the dispensaries in Hawaii,” Cheng said.
Dr. Clifton Otto, a medical cannabis expert, predicts the new legal status could bring more people into the Hawaii medical cannabis program.
“This could be very attractive for potential patients who have stayed away from the program because they don’t want to be federal criminals and they don’t want to be associated to all the discrimination associated with firearms possession and employment,” Otto said.
The rescheduling will also make it easier for established medical research institutions to confirm cannabis’ medical uses.
“And so now you’d be able to actually take the products that are on the shelves that people are using and do research and study on how they are effective,” said Andrew Goff, Director of the State Office of Medical Cannabis Control.
Dispensaries will have to apply for DEA registration and regulation.
“We hear that DEA agents will also now accompany the state license officials on their inspections,” Cheng said.
Goff said state officials are working to understand how federal oversight will integrate with existing state regulations.
“We’ve already spoken to DEA, the local DEA agents. We’ve spoken to our state narcotics enforcement division. We’re still trying to figure out how everything is going to fit together, but I think our state program is pretty well suited for this,” Goff said.
What remains unclear is whether the change will affect patients who use home-grown product or whether rules against flying with medical cannabis will change.
Otto said the rescheduling would provide a level of federal standardization and oversight that might make patients feel more comfortable.
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